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84 found

Developing Massively Parallel Sequence for Agricultural Surveillance

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $169,960

Total award amount   $339,969

Location   Starkville, MS

Matching Funders   Mississippi State University

Grantee Institution   Mississippi State University

Global commerce has increased the introduction of exotic plant pathogens and pests to new areas. Farmers need a reliable system to detect newly introduced pests and pathogens. Mississippi State University researchers are combining existing technologies with novel data analysis to detect diverse plant pathogens and insects of importance in row crop, orchard and forestry settings, which will help protect agricultural systems.

Diet, the human gastrointestinal microbiome and metabolic health

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $299,744

Total award amount   $599,488

Location   Urbana-Champaign, IL

Matching Funders   The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Grantee Institution   University of Illinois

The microbiome in human guts and diet are linked to public health issues including obesity, liver disease and diabetes. While the microbiome is susceptible to changes in diet, there is a dearth of knowledge on how specific foods effect microbiome and how diet and the microbiome are related to disease treatment and prevention. University of Illinois researchers are furthering general understanding of how foods impacts health. The project is providing information that will help consumers to make healthful food choices.

A Novel Bioassay for Culturing and Characterizing Fastidious Phytopathogens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $299,993

Total award amount   $599,986

Location   College Station, TX

Matching Funders   Southern Garden Citrus

Grantee Institution   Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center

Fastidious pathogens, bacteria that only grow in specific conditions, cause huge agricultural losses and cost farmers billions of dollars annually. Candidatus Liberibacter spp. are fastidious pathogens that cause the potato zebra chip and Citrus greening diseases. Complicating matters, these pathogens are will not grow in laboratory conditions, making it difficult to understand them. To support citrus growers and help other producers manage diseases, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center researchers are testing a method of screening for disease resistance genes and chemicals that can combat the pathogens causing citrus greening and potato zebra chip diseases. The research will be translated into disease management strategies that help growers and prevent billions of dollars in annual losses.

First FFAR Grantees: Meet the 2016 New Innovators

Portrait of Sally Rockey.

Sally Rockey, Ph.D.

Executive Director Emeritus

Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research Grants New Innovator Award to Nine Early Career Scientists Pursuing Research with Transformative Potential

Enhancing Crop Pollination, Pest Control and Yield in Urban Agriculture

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $210,618

Total award amount   $421,236

Location   Rochester, MI

Matching Funders   Oakland University

Grantee Institution   Oakland University

Urban agriculture is a growing component of local and regional food systems. However, few studies focus on factors limiting crop productivity in urban environments and little is known about how insect pollinators and pests affect crop yield on urban farms. Oakland University researchers are investigating the composition of the insect community and evaluating strategies for enhancing ecosystem services provided by beneficial insects. The project aims to enhance crop pollination, pest control and yields in urban agriculture.

Building Soil Health Through Rotational Diversity and Soil Microorganisms

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $299,962

Total award amount   $599,923

Location   East Lansing, MI

Matching Funders   MSU AgBioRes

Grantee Institution   Michigan State University

Crop rotations have been used to increase crop productivity for centuries, but little is known about how rotational diversity impacts soil microorganisms. Michigan State University researchers are addressing this research gap by studying the interactions between crop diversity, soil microorganisms and soil organic matter. The project aims to build soil health through rotational diversity and soil microorganisms.

Going Back to the Roots To Transform Soil Health into Yield

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $285,083

Total award amount   $570,165

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   UC Davis Dean's Office

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Soil health management practices are promoted as feasible, complementary approaches to high-input strategies to increase food production and decrease agriculture’s environmental footprint. However, the role crop plants play in using soil health to increase yields is often overlooked. University of California, Davis researchers are transforming soil health into yield by exploring the relationship between root systems, soil health and crop productivity to identify how producers can grow resilient crops using sustainable practices at scale.

Advances in Water Limited Irrigation Management

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   Kansas State University and University of California, Davis

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Projected increases in demands for food, feed and fiber will require more water. Semi-arid environments already face challenges in maintaining agricultural productivity under declining water supplies and climate change will exacerbate this challenge. University of California, Davis researchers are improving water productivity in agriculture by integrating data related to agricultural water use by several sources such as soils, weather and plant-based measurements.

A Multi-Scale Approach to Unearth the Root of Plant Disease Resistance

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $299,757

Total award amount   $599,513

Location   West Lafayette, IN

Matching Funders   Purdue University

Grantee Institution   Purdue University

Plant root diseases can cause lower yields. Some plant varieties are resistant to root disease, but the mechanisms underlying resistance are unclear. Purdue University researchers are examining how roots mediate disease-resistance by using tomato and a soilborne bacterial pathogen as a model.